POWERGRAMS

40 testing. Moseley sets the testing machine to the highest voltage for which the glove is certified. Gloves are securely fastened to the machine by pins. "The inside of the glove fills with water to a set point on the machine," Moseley said. "The glove is submerged into water in a vat, which becomes energized with electricity through a ground rod in the glove. The machine runs a 3-minute test at that voltage. When the machine reads the sensors, it shuts off the water. If there is a hole in the glove that allows electricity to go through the glove, the machine alarms. If all the gloves pass, we remove each one, dump the water and put the gloves in a dryer." Childers performs a visual, sound and touch test of each glove. "You can almost 'see' with your hands aer a period of time," said Childers, who has worked at the company six years. "Sometimes, even the testing machine doesn't catch lile nicks or scratches. We blow up the gloves with air, filling the entire glove. It's possible to have holes in the fingers. It takes a while to gain that knowledge, that feel where you know the glove is sound." The team ships new gloves about two weeks before the expiration date of each employee's gloves. Each lineman is responsible for ensuring his or her gloves meet in-service specifications. Gloves with faded or discolored labels are destroyed. While gloves are a lineman's primary defense, electrical blankets provide incidental protection, serving as a barrier between a lineman and arcing electricity. While working from a bucket truck, linemen may wrap a rubber blanket around wiring and clamp it to prevent personnel from coming into contact with a live transformer or power line. The GSC mechanics team ships about 1,200 blankets a month to line crews throughout the state. "We'll patch the electrical blankets, but never the gloves," Moseley said. Repair of rubber blankets is a careful process. Ellison washes and dries the blankets before applying a material plug or patch over any worn or torn spot. He places the repaired blanket in a vulcanizer, which uses high heat to bond the plug onto the sheet, making it safe to use again. The company is commied to ensuring crews' gloves and other protective materials are safe and maintained according to ASTM and Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations, Mosely said. For the mechanic team, that commitment is personal. "We're here to ensure our employees get a safe product every time," Moseley said. "Alabama Power is great about safety. I've never worked anywhere that a company is more commied to safety." SAFETY Ellison ensures the safety of electrical blankets, at top left, while Childers checks gloves for nicks, cuts and tears, at bottom right.

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